MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL START OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES EXPANSION AT LEGLER LIBRARY, HOSTS ROUNDTABLE ON MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

Mayor Brandon Johnson
Mayor Brandon Johnson

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL START OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES EXPANSION AT LEGLER LIBRARY, HOSTS ROUNDTABLE ON MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

Mayor Johnson led a roundtable discussion with mental health care advocates, service providers, and people with lived experience at the site of the Administration’s first official mental health service expansion.

CHICAGO – Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the official start of the City offering mental health services at Legler Regional Library, marking the first colocation of his administration which builds on the partnership between Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Chicago Public Library (CPL). As part of the announcement and in honor of Men’s Mental Health Month, Mayor Johnson hosted a roundtable at Legler Regional Library on Tuesday with CPL Commissioner Chris Brown, Alderman Jason Ervin, mental health advocates, a CDPH licensed counselor, and community members.

“We know that men face unique challenges when it comes to mental health. From higher rates of suicide to substance abuse and alcohol dependency, we need to do more to make sure that men, especially young men, are getting the support that they need,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By expanding to Legler Library, we are meeting people where they are at. I’m proud that after decades of closings, cuts, and privatization, we are reversing the direction of our mental health care system by announcing re-openings, expansions, and additions.”

The Legler Library expansion builds on Mayor Johnson’s plan to re-open the shuttered mental health clinic in Roseland on the Far South Side. Mayor Johnson’s office is also working with CDPH to expand services in the Pilsen neighborhood at the CDPH Lower West Side Clinic. The Legler Regional Library expansion is the third library site that offers mental health services through a partnership between CPL and CDPH.

“The reality is, we don’t have a built environment for mental health spaces all throughout the city,” said Commissioner Brown. “But we do have 81 libraries in all 77 neighborhoods.”

By expanding in the West Garfield community, Mayor Johnson is exemplifying his commitment to invest in the most disinvested communities in Chicago. With the Roseland Clinic, the Lower West Clinic, and the Legler Regional Library site, Mayor Johnson is prioritizing Black and brown communities that have been neglected and discarded by previous administrations.

"As men, and as Black men in particular, we face a number of challenges, from the stigma to financial barriers, in getting the help that we need,” said Alderman Ervin. “On substance abuse in particular, that is a major contributor to the life expectancy gap for the Black community in West Garfield Park. We need to continue to find ways to expand our mental health care resources so that our people can get the help they deserve.”

In honor of Men’s Mental Health Month, Mayor Johnson hosted a roundtable with six men to discuss the unique challenges that men face in regard to mental health and to hear directly from community members and service providers on what they would like to see as part of Mayor Johnson’s plan to rebuild the City’s mental health care system.

“In 2020, we lost three young men to overdoses in one week. There are a lot of structural issues -- access to services, cultural issues, stigma -- to our young men getting the help that they need to process the trauma that they’re experiencing,” said Marshall Hatch Jr., the co-founder and executive director of the Maafa Redemption Project. “As the Mayor said, our goal is healing. We need to look at holistic health practices - that may take the form of worship on Sunday or support from extended family. We need all of these support networks and more to help our young men process and heal.”

Participants shared personal experiences and perspectives on mental health challenges in West Garfield Park, particularly for men. The participants emphasized the need for culturally sensitive and accessible mental health services. They also discussed the importance of community support and the value of multiple forms of therapy in addressing unprocessed emotions. The conversation highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to mental health that addresses the unique challenges faced by Black men and promotes holistic healing.

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